Category: Camping
What We Share And Don't Share Off-Road
By Tom Severin January 8, 2023 January 8, 2023 2023 Articles, Camping, Events, Things To Know
One December about five years ago, I took a group to Saline Valley to celebrate New Year's Eve. While at the campsite I realized I didn't have a tent. Completely forgot to pack it that day. As a seasoned four-wheeler, this basic blunder was especially difficult to swallow. On top… Continue reading
Useful Gadgets For The Four-Wheeler
By Tom Severin December 15, 2022 December 15, 2022 2022 Articles, Camping, Equipment, Things To Know
Tis the season for gift giving…whether for yourself or another four-wheeling aficionado. With that in mind, Santa Tom offers up these fine gifts and ideas sure to please any four-wheeler or other outdoors enthusiast. Continuous ratchet strap: Most ratchet straps have a hook on each end. A continuous ratchet strap,… Continue reading
Expand Your Dutch Oven Options With a Camp Chef Cooking System
By Tom Severin August 11, 2022 August 11, 2022 2022 Articles, Camping, Environmental Impact, Equipment, Food
Dutch ovens are great for cooking in the outdoors over charcoal and wood. Most hot dishes prepared at home can be enjoyed in the field as well. Four-wheelers often cook stews, casseroles, and similar dishes in a Dutch oven. What if you're in the mood for baked goods? My triple… Continue reading
Beware Of Toxins While Off-Road
By Tom Severin June 11, 2022 June 12, 2022 2022 Articles, Camping, Environmental Impact, Food, Outdoor Health, Safety
Hazards are an accepted part of four-wheeling. Driving off-road, in remote parts of the country (or the world), oftentimes on uneven or (treacherous terrain) is naturally risky. But it's not just mechanical issues we face. Toxins occasionally present themselves, so it's important to be aware of the situations that may… Continue reading
A New Take On Camp Cooking
By Tom Severin January 16, 2022 January 16, 2022 2022 Articles, Camping, Food
Due to time constraints while four-wheeling, breakfast and lunch are sometimes rushed and shortchanged. The result can be a growling stomach before the next meal. That doesn't have to be. It is possible to prepare tasty and fulfilling meals that don't require a lot of effort. I know. I don't… Continue reading
Redundancy Makes Sense Off-Road
By Tom Severin December 18, 2021 December 29, 2021 2021 Articles, Camping, Equipment, Safety, Things To Know
Anyone old enough to remember the Apollo space program may recall hearing the term redundancy. Back then, NASA was referring to extra electronics or other systems in the space capsule and lunar module. Today's commercial aircraft also employ a certain amount of redundancy. In either case, the principle is the… Continue reading
What is the Perfect Coffee Cup?
By Tom Severin November 18, 2021 November 18, 2021 2021 Articles, Camping, Food
"Black as the devil, hot as hell, pure as an angel, sweet as love." attributed to Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord on Coffee. Whenever I stop at a doughnut shop in the morning, I walk over and say hi to the old guys, enjoying their morning coffee with old friends. I… Continue reading
Avoid 6 PM News – Don't Start A Wildfire
By Tom Severin August 13, 2021 August 15, 2021 2021 Articles, Camping, Deadly Mistakes, Land Use, Outdoor Health, Safety
Each day brings more troubling news about the devastating wildfires raging in the western U.S. The Dixie Fire, in northern California, has burned more than 500,000 acres, including most of the town of Greenville. As I write this, on Aug. 12, the fire is less than one-third contained. In Montana… Continue reading
A Great Campsite
By Tom Severin April 20, 2021 December 7, 2021 2021 Articles, Camping
I was sitting around the campfire with a couple buddies one evening. We had completed another leg in a long but rewarding four-wheeling journey. Now relaxed, we were reflecting on the day's adventures and the outdoors in general. Eventually the conversation came around to camping and campsites. We were in… Continue reading
How to Be a Great Camp Cook
By Tom Severin February 13, 2021 July 7, 2022 2021 Articles, Camping, Events, Food, Trail Leader
Unfortunately, it didn't work out. I really wanted to give this guy a chance. He said he could cook, and he expressed a strong desire to cook during one of my four-wheeling expeditions. Though he tried hard, he simply couldn't handle the duties. From buying food to preparing the meals,… Continue reading
Solar Power System for Off-Road Use
By Tom Severin May 17, 2020 May 19, 2020 2020 Articles, Camping, Equipment, How Does It Work
For most of us, off-road travel requires electrical power for an ever-increasing number of electrical devices. There's the fridge-freezer, of course. But also, a laptop (or two), GPS receiver, two-way radios, air compressors, air pump (for mattresses), power tools, and such. Power consumption isn't an issue while the engine is… Continue reading
Safeguard Gear, Food from Varmints, Vagrants and Weather
By Tom Severin March 21, 2019 June 11, 2019 2019 Articles, Camping, Food, Things To Know
We had just returned from a day of 4-wheeling. Our base campsite in the Mojave Desert was a beautiful patch of lush desert with cholla, creosote bushes, Joshua trees, and Mojave yucca. Each of us headed for our tents. At one point I heard one camper yell out, What the ¦?!. He… Continue reading